


To Bloom Only Where The Sun Cannot Reach

by Garnet_Sekai



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Non-Verbal Chara, Other, Pre-Canon, Queerplatonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-18
Updated: 2016-01-18
Packaged: 2018-05-14 10:52:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5740909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Garnet_Sekai/pseuds/Garnet_Sekai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Asgore has trophies, Chara has questions, Toriel's <em>goat</em> answers (and jokes), and Asriel has an idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	To Bloom Only Where The Sun Cannot Reach

**Author's Note:**

> As with my previous story with that tag, non-verbal Chara here is referring to non-verbal episodes rather than perpetually non-verbal. The implied/referenced suicide tag is in reference to Chara's canonical attempt.

Chara sighed as they settled into the blankets. Despite being on the floor, the sheer number they'd managed to scrounge together for their nest had made it fairly comfortable, all told.

Well. Those, and the warm, furry presence beside them. Chara shook their head as they glanced over at Asriel; the boy had already fallen back to sleep, and the human child nestled in carefully next to him with a long sigh.

From his bed, Asgore smiled over at the two children in their blanket nest. "I would still be happy to allow you both to rest in my arms," he called softly. After yet another nightmare had woken Chara, he had offered to let the two sleep in his room, close to safety and comfort.

"I told you, Dad Guy," Chara mumbled, "That's a king-size bed. Not a king-and-two-children-size bed."

Asgore shook his head, eyes resting on Chara's face for a long moment, seeing the deep shadows beneath the child's eyes. "As long as you and Asriel feel comfortable and safe," he murmured.

Chara sighed a little. Even with Asriel close like a living security blanket, the memories had shaken them far too much to grow drowsy again. Their eyes darted around the room, taking in the soft light of the magic-lit candles and the many things that their adoptive father had collected.

After a long moment, they shifted. "Hey... what are the trophies for, anyway?" they asked.

Asgore chuckled. "Oh! Those are for winning the nose-nuzzling competition." He chuckled. "My wife and I have managed to win every year since its instatement."

Chara blinked. Then they burst into snickers. "Nose... nuzzling? I don't get it, what's the punchline? Other than being really silly?"

"Nothin' silly about... nose-nuzzling..." Asriel's voice was reproachful, and the boy squeezed Chara a little closer. "What, did you think my dad wasn't being serious?"

Chara blinked. "Well, I mean... how would you have a competition over that? How do you judge who's the best at... pushing your noses against each other?"

Asgore blinked. "Golly, that's right. You wouldn't know about that..." He smiled, and slowly sat up. "Nose-nuzzling doesn't just mean touching our noses together, Chara. If my wife were here I'm sure she would be happy to help me show you."

Asriel peeked up over the edge of the blankets at them. "Wait, humans don't do that?"

Asgore shook his head. "Sadly, they cannot, my son." He shifted. "When monsters who are in love nuzzle each other, the magic in each of their bodies reacts to the other's. The magic mingles and bursts forth for everyone to see."

Chara blinked. "So... it's the display they're judging?" They tilted their head. "That must be weird though, having that happen every time you bump into someone..."

Asgore's laugh was a deep rumble. "It's not every time. Remember, Chara, our magic is a part of us. It can only mingle if we let it. You have to open yourself, on purpose, and they have to open themself to you."

Asriel pressed himself close against Chara. "What do humans do, then? Do they not... nuzzle?"

Chara shrugged. "Well, humans don't have magic like monsters do, remember? Mostly humans just... kiss. But there's not actual fireworks or something..."

Asriel nodded. "But, you've got me now! We should practice sometime!"

Chara blinked. "Practice... what, you and me, nose-nuzzling?"

Asgore gave another rumbling laugh. "Golly, wouldn't that be something? Maybe Tori and I would have to worry about competition someday..."

Chara peeked up from Asriel's shoulder to shoot Asgore a glare. The king merely smiled. He knew that look all too well. He had seen the exact same look in his wife's eyes time and time again. _Don't you encourage him, Fluffybuns_ , she would say with her eyes. And he would simply smile, because Asriel had never needed encouragement from him.

Aloud, Chara finally said, "Asriel, we can't just do it in front of your dad... c'mon, it's embarrassing enough when they're being smoopy over dinner..."

Asriel's ears perked. "Oh! Um, yeah... I guess we can't tonight..." His voice grew low and conspiratorial. "Besides, we can't let Dad see what the competition's up to..."

Chara blinked, and nuzzled in against his cheek, letting Asriel's ear droop down over their head. "Um... yeah, that works..."

Asriel's arms fastened snugly around Chara, and he dragged them down into the nest. "Anyway, c'mon, Chara, you gotta sleep... I know you're scared, but I'm right here with you, and Dad's gonna be right there watching over us. He's the king, nothing can hurt you as long as he's around!"

Chara fixed Asgore with a long look. Then, with a sigh, they let Asriel's ear cover their face and closed their eyes.

 

When Toriel returned, a few days later, she found Chara waiting for her after the day's lessons were finished. Their voice was quiet and hesitant as they explained.

"So..." Chara's voice grew even quieter. "Asriel's been... really enthusiastic about the idea since Dad Guy explained to us about nose-nuzzling. But at the same time, I'm a human..."

Toriel beamed quietly. "Does that matter? He cares deeply for you, my child, as we all do."

Chara flinched. "That's not what I'm asking about, though. Is it true that humans don't have any magic? If I don't have any, we couldn't do it at all, right?"

Toriel pondered. "It is not exactly true to say that humans possess no magic, my child. After all, the barrier itself was the product of human magic." She paused. "Rather, humans are not in tune with magic in the same way that monsters are. We are born of magic, and it is ours to know and set forth by pure instinct. Humans, on the other hand, are physical beings. It takes great study for a human to control magic, and even the strongest human mage is limited in scope."

Chara nodded. "So... even if it were possible otherwise, Asriel and I couldn't..."

Toriel smiled. "Perhaps not to the extent that the king and I are capable of, but I imagine you would not especially want to display such affection to the world in any case. I think perhaps it may be more possible than you think. It would necessarily be more subdued, certainly."

Chara sighed. "Well, there goes Asriel's plan for the two of us to surprise everyone and sweep the competition." They gave a wry little smile, and a brief chuckle.

Toriel chuckled softly in return. "I am not so certain, my child. The competition is judged upon beauty, not the scale of the display. Even a subtle display can work wonders..."

Chara shrugged. "Says the reigning champion." They paused, and then sighed. "Either way, it might be a little tricky to teach me. I mean, we only have one Toriel."

Toriel blinked in confusion. "I am well aware there is only one of me, but what has that to do with lessons? You have known me for long enough to know that I am not _that_ poor of a teacher."

Chara's face was carefully neutral. "But for a complete newbie, wouldn't you have to begin with a... _two-toriel_ lesson?"

Toriel paused. Her voice was carefully level. "Perhaps ordinarily. But I believe even with such a handicap, you can learn magic. You might even develop your own... _chara_ -cteristic style."

A short moment later, on the other side of the house, Asriel and Asgore heard the gales of laughter coming from the lesson room, glanced at each other, and ruefully shook their heads.

 

It was a few days later, on a walk far into Waterfall, before Asriel brought up the subject again. "See, almost nobody ever comes out to this part way out here. It'd be perfect!"

Chara glanced over at the boy, adjusting the umbrella they held carefully over him. In this old tunnel, water dripped almost constantly from the ceiling in a pale imitation of an autumn rain shower. Chara didn't mind it so much, but Asriel's fur took ages to dry, and he usually hated getting wet.

"You're... still thinking about that, huh?" Chara sighed. "Asriel..."

Asriel's excited voice cut them gently off. "Of course! I know it'll take some time, but someday, we're going to dazzle everyone. And not just 'cause I'm the prince either!" He nodded. "But the sooner we start practicing, the better. And now we've found a really great place. You'll see when we get there..."

The water continued to drum down over them as they walked onward. After a few minutes, Chara began to hum in rhythm with the sounds of the falling rain. They were already shifting the umbrella to keep both children covered when Asriel pressed in close; Chara knew how much he had come to love the sound their humming made.

When Chara stopped, it was not because they had left the tunnel behind and the water had stopped. The view that spread before them was far more arresting. The whole cavern had opened up before them, and in the distance, signs of construction were everywhere, half-finished buildings springing up. A few were already completed, the gentle lights of monsters' homes visible even this far.

Above it all rose the stark, bright form of a beautiful palace, lit from behind by the light that filtered in even through the force of the Barrier and lit from within by the warmth of magic. At the castle's feet, illuminated by the same glow that lit the city around, stood a tiny building that Chara knew deeply well. The first building they had ever seen since they had come to the Underground.

"... He's really pretty sentimental, isn't he?" they murmured. "Is he really making it the exact same?"

Asriel smiled. "Almost. Except, well..." He tilted his head. "One of the rooms is being made with two people in mind, you know..."

Chara glanced to the side. "You all... really want to insist on it, don't you?"

Asriel nodded, putting an arm carefully around the human. "Of course we do." He giggled. "Now, c'mon, isn't this the perfect spot to practice?"

Chara blanched. "You mean now? Asriel, I still don't have any magic of my own..."

Asriel took their hands carefully in his own. "Then I'll just have to be magical enough for the both of us." He nodded. "It doesn't have to be something huge and fancy and amazing at first. We can work on stuff like showers of shooting stars later. We've got years and years for that. So for now, let's just do what we can."

Chara blinked. "Years and years, huh?"

Asriel blinked back. "Well, yeah! You and me... we'll always be together."

Chara's always-pink cheeks darkened slightly. "Why?"

Asriel smiled. "Well, because you're a part of our family now!" He nodded. "And, well... because I love you, Chara. And you love me. And that's all that we really need to practice, so..."

Chara let out a long sigh. "Then... wouldn't that make it hard to practice, if that's what we need?" Their eyes glanced away.

Asriel blinked. "Chara, c'mon. I know it might still be kinda hard to take in, but I really do..."

"I know." Chara shook their head quickly. "I don't understand how, and I know you really shouldn't, but... I know you love me, Asriel."

Asriel's ears perked up. "Wait, what do you mean, I shouldn't?"

Chara's eyes lowered. "I'm a human, Asriel. Even you should understand what that means."

Asriel frowned. "I don't care if you're human, Chara. Nobody does."

"You should." Chara's arms wrapped tightly around themself. "Don't you get it, Asriel? I'm not good. I'm not nice. I'm not loving and warm and wonderful like you are... Even as far as humans go? I'm pretty much the worst of the bunch."

Asriel shook his head. "Chara, it doesn't matter if you're human. What matters is what you're like..."

Chara tensed. "No, that's wrong! Don't you get it, Asriel? Every human is without exception rotten to the core." A thin smile stretched across their face. "They're far more horrible than even Asgore knows. I hate them! Every single last one of them!"

"Even you?" Asriel's hands reached out to take Chara by the shoulders.

Chara twitched. Their arms jerked out, shoving Asriel away as they stepped quickly back. "Don't you get it, Asriel? I don't... no, I _can't_ love you. I am deplorable even among the awful ranks of humanity. I am incapable of loving you, or anyone else. All I am, all I know, is hating every last member of my accursed race..."

Asriel looked up at Chara from the ground, rubbing his head. "Is... that what you're worried about? That you don't love me back?" He huffed.

Chara blinked. "Asriel... I didn't hurt you, did I?" Their cheeks had gone as white as the rest of their face now, their body visibly trembling. "See? I am incapable of loving another. Even if they are as wonderful as you are to an undeserving _creature_ such as me. All I know how to do is bring harm to everyone around me."

Asriel got to his feet shakily. "I'm okay, really, Chara." He paused. "Golly, you... sound a lot like Mom all of a sudden..."

Chara sighed. "Asriel, honestly, sometimes I just wish you'd never found me. I don't know how to be part of a family. No matter what, I am going to end up hurting you. I've already disappointed you twice over just now." Their eyes closed. "Asriel, I can't even love you. Why... why are you so determined that I keep on living?"

Asriel blanched. "Chara, but if I hadn't found you, you would've died!"

Chara bit their lip. "Yes. Yes, I would have. Do you... understand, Asriel?" They sighed, turning to look out over the cavern again, and the rocky slope ahead of the two. "Why did I bother crying out, anyway? The whole point was to get me killed. And... all those other times, nobody came... but..."

Chara trailed off as they heard a sniffle. When they turned, Asriel's eyes were bright with tears. With a sob, he suddenly buried his face against them. Chara stumbled and sat down heavily under his weight, hesitantly trying to hold him. "Asriel..." The rest of their words came out as a barely audible croak that trailed off. When Asriel looked up, Chara's mouth was moving, forming the usual shapes of sounds and words, but nothing came out.

With another sniffle, Asriel wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry, Chara... Golly, I'm kind of a crybaby sometimes, but... I don't like even hearing you talk about wanting to die..." He sighed. "It's... okay if you don't feel up to talking. Just try and listen, just for a little."

Chara shifted, making space for Asriel to lay in their lap and look up at them. "Chara, I don't understand what happened to you. It must have been awful. But that's over now. You're here now, in the Underground, and we're your family now. We all love you, Chara."

Chara tensed, making motions towards themself, then Asriel, and shaking their head quickly. Asriel just smiled a little more. "You're wrong about that, Chara. You do love me, I know it. I don't know who told you all those awful things about yourself, but they're wrong. Even if you're the one who thought them up."

He paused. "Think about it, Chara. You worry about me. You think such nice things about me. You're so terribly, awfully afraid of hurting me. But that means you care! And..." He shook his head. "Just look at how much you trust me. Golly, I'm no good at reading people like Mom is, but even I can tell you're scared of people. But me... you let me close to you. And that means a lot to me."

Slowly, Asriel sat up, turning around and clasping one of Chara's hands between his. "I know you think you can't love anyone, and that means you don't love me back. But Chara, that's just not true. I know it! So... since you trust in me so much... will you do me a favor? Will you believe in me too, Chara? Because I want so badly to prove you wrong. I want to prove you love me..."

Asriel leaned in, tense, holding tightly to Chara's hand. The human child closed their own eyes, and focused on the little starbursts of slight pain where his tight grip left his claws pressing into their hand, teetering on the border of breaking the skin. They didn't flinch when he made contact, lowering his muzzle to press their face against his. Slowly, Chara pressed their face against his muzzle, their nose lodging in the cleft between his eyes, and rocked back and forth in imitation of Asriel's motions. Their arms wound around each other, holding tightly as they shared a silent moment. Chara let out a slight whimper. They wanted to believe Asriel so badly, but they were so certain that this one time, he was wrong.

It was a few minutes before Chara and Asriel finally drew back. Chara was the one to break the silence. "Hey... Asriel?" They were staring at the space between them now. "How'd you know about the flowers?"

Asriel blinked. "I don't know what you mean, Chara." He looked down, and gasped softly. A single flower was blossoming between them. Its yellow petals shimmered lightly with magic.

Chara tilted their head. "It was a good idea for cheering me up, but how did you know? That's a golden flower. They were my favorite, but I haven't been able to find a single one down here; I even asked Dad Guy about it and he said he thinks they only grow on the surface." They sighed. "Back in that place, there was such a big plot of them. I could even hide in them. But here, there's not even one."

Asriel smiled a little. "Then... I couldn't possibly know what one looks like. Golly, Chara, I wonder what that could mean..."

Chara pouted. "Asriel, don't tease me. That flower was made with magic, it couldn't have come from me. I've only just started learning magic and I can't cast anything yet."

Asriel nodded. "But it couldn't have come from me! I don't know what golden flowers look like!" He was beaming now, looking up into Chara's deep red eyes.

Chara paused. "But then the only other possibility would be that it... came from both of us? Your magic, and my memories of the surface? That would mean..."

Asriel giggled, clasping Chara's hands tightly. "It worked! See! Even your own flower proves it!"

He reached down, touching each of the petals in turn. "Chara loves me. They love me not. They love me... they love me not..."

The fifth petal was the last, and Asriel lifted it with a claw gently, smiling expectantly. Chara stared. "I... love you?"

Asriel smiled. "This flower wouldn't have bloomed if you didn't!"

Chara flushed. "You'd believe even I can love someone... even if it hadn't, wouldn't you?"

Asriel giggled. "Of course! I know you love me, Chara, even if you're too scared to think you can. Even if you're still scared to trust people, I know you love Mom and Dad too. I mean... we're your family now, right?"

Chara tensed. Their eyes were moist now. "I don't deserve a single one of you. But... thank you so much, for believing in me..." A wide, bright smile spread across their face. "I... love you, Asri."

Asriel giggled, and shifted to sit beside Chara, letting them lean on his shoulder. "See? Mom and Dad are rubbing off on you already..."

Beside him, after a moment, Chara lifted up their voice. This time, they did not speak. Instead, they gave voice to a melody that Asriel had known since he was a young child. The melody had never had words before, and indeed Asriel did not recognize the language they was using now, but Chara's voice matched the old music box in Asriel's dresser perfectly.

As Chara sang, they nestled up against Asriel, nuzzling their face to his once again. Asriel nuzzled back in delight, his eyes taking in the cavern around, and the human child before him. By the time the song had ended, three or four more flowers had sprouted up around them. Asriel barely noticed; he was too busy looking at Chara with shining eyes.

Chara glanced around at them with a smile. "Asri, there's no way we're gonna beat your parents with just this, you know..."

Asriel giggled. "Well, we can just enjoy this as something special, between us. You don't really want to perform anyway..." He nodded. "And who knows? Maybe, years later, when you've learned more magic and we're older and more comfortable showing everyone how much we love each other... maybe we'll claim the trophy then." He paused. "So, Chara... thank you, so much, for calling out back then."

Chara turned to look out over the future capital again. "I guess I really do have years ahead of me now, don't I?" They smiled. "Of course, that's your fault. Asri... when I called... somebody did come. So, thank you."

Asriel nodded. "You know... it's only really since you came down here that anyone besides Mom and Dad started building around the castle. Dad said we should lead the way by building right beside the barrier, but most monsters... they were still scared."

Chara's head lowered. "Scared of the humans. Not that I can blame them."

Asriel nodded. "But now, look at all the houses that are getting built. So many monsters want to move, to spread out all across the cavern we live in. The whole Underground is supposed to be our home, not just Home..."

Chara's lips curled into a hesitant smile. "Is... that what Dad Guy means when he says things like 'Chara, you are the future of humans and monsters'? That I'm... hope? You really think... someone like me can make people happy?"

Asriel's arm squeezed snugly around Chara's waist. "You make me happy," he said quietly.

Chara rolled their eyes. "Yeah, but you're weird, Asri. You actually act like you don't mind me being around, like I'm not an eyesore or a burden or..." They trailed off, resting against him. "Thanks."

Asriel puffed. "Nobody who sings that well should be treated like that, Chara." He smiled. "Your voice is so wonderful. Will you... sing for me, sometimes? Even if it's just us two?"

Chara paused. A dozen retorts swirled in their mind, fighting for the right to be spat in acid, guarded tones.

Instead, Chara looked out over the view before them, and said, "Well... I'll think about it."

 

**Author's Note:**

> First off, need to give a shoutout, this had heavy inspiration from @thefrickinpyrasaur's post over here:  
> http://thefrickinpyrasaur.tumblr.com/post/134434860405/theory-about-monster-nose-nuzzling  
> Read it, loved it, could not stop thinking about what might happen with a human in the mix. And so this little bit of fluff was born.  
> As an aside, I couldn't find a place to smoothly say it explicitly, but it's meant to be implied that this takes place only a few weeks after Chara falls down. They've recovered from the injuries the fall gave them, but...


End file.
